Effects of nitroblue tetrazolium and vitamin E on platelet ultrastructure, aggregation, and secretion

All agents capable of triggering the platelet release reaction also stimulate prostaglandin biosynthesis in these cells. Information concerning the endoperoxides, thromboxanes, and more stable metabolites generated by the action of cyclooxygenase and lipoxygenase on arachidonic acid has accumulated rapidly, but little is known about the preliminary steps in the cleavage and preparation of arachidonic acid for insertion into the enzymatic pathways of prostaglandin synthesis. Studies in this laboratory have shown that the combination of nitroblue tetrazolium (NBT) and vitamin E which prevents oxygenation of arachidonic acid to a free radical also blocks platelet prostaglandin biosynthesis. The present study has evaluated the influence of NBT, vitamin E, and the combination of NBT and vitamin E on the fine structure and biochemistry of platelets during incubation, and the effects of these compounds on the aggregation and secretion of platelets stimulated by collagen, thrombin, epinephrine, and ADP. Results of the study demonstrate that NBT and vitamin E, rather than injuring platelets, appear to protect them during incubation. Together NBT and vitamin E blocked aggregation by epinephrine, collagen, and thrombin, but permitted a small first wave stimulated by ADP. Both ADP and thrombin induced shape change, pseudopod formation, and limited degrees of internal contraction in vitamin E-NBT-treated platelets, whereas epinephrine and collagen failed to significantly alter discoid form. This pattern of response to aggregating agents was identical to reactions observed in platelets pretreated with aspirin and indomethacin, both potent inhibitors of platelet prostaglandin synthesis. In addition, NBT-vitamin E virtually blocked the first wave of aggregation which is not affected by aspirin and indomethacin. The findings support the concept that conversion of arachidonic acid to an activated state is an important step in prostaglandin synthesis and that electron transfer or oxidation-reduction reactions are intimately involved in the development of platelet stickiness.     

The influence of prostaglandin endoperoxides on platelet ultrastructure.

Prostaglandin endoperoxides produced during aggregation of blood platelets are potent promoters of platelet aggregation and the release reaction. The present investigation has studied the effects of prostaglandin endoperoxides produced by platelet microsomes after incubation with arachidonic acid on the ultrastructure of platelets. Prostaglandin endoperoxides caused platelet pseudopod formation and internal transformation associated with a contractile wave within the platelet. The contractile process was similar to that seen following incubation of platelets with collagen or thrombin but was more complete than that seen with 25 muM ADP. Platelet aggregation was more prominent in unstirred samples incubated with the prostaglandin endoperoxides than in samples similarly incubated with 25 muM ADP. Dilatation of the open canalicular system was not a prominent feature except at 45 minutes after addition of the endoperoxides to the platelets, when the platelets appeared to be in a recovery phase. We conclude that the endoperoxides promote platelet stickiness and platelet aggregation by directly or indirectly stimulating the platelet contractile system.     

Lysophosphatidic acids. Influence on platelet aggregation and intracellular calcium flux.

Decanoyl-, palmitoyl-, and oleoyl-lysophosphatidic acid (LPA) were studied for their effects on platelet aggregation and intracellular calcium flux. Palmitoyl-LPA and oleoyl-LPA both caused a concentration-dependent aggregation of human blood platelets at concentrations of 12--300 microM. Aggregation by adenosine diphosphate (ADP) was enhanced at slightly lower concentrations. First-wave aggregation induced by these LPAs was not blocked by aspirin, indomethacin, or heparin, suggesting similarities to ADP aggregation. However, in washed platelets with a high calcium concentration, no serotonin secretion was observed, even though full aggregation occurred, suggesting that aggregation was not due to released ADP. This concept was supported by studies of platelets deficient in the storage pool of ADP and serotonin, which had a normal first-wave aggregation response to palmitoyl-LPA. Aggregation induced by palmitoyl LPA was inhibited by prostaglandin E1 (PGE1), theophylline, and ethylenediaminotetraacetate (EDTA), though in the presence of EDTA shape change occurred. Aggregation stimulated by palmitoyl-LPA or oleoyl-LPA was characterized by changes in the shape of the platelets with development of pseudopods and centralization of granules closely surrounded by contractile microfilaments and supporting microtubules. The addition of palmitoyl-LPA and oleoyl-LPA, but not decanoyl-LPA, caused the release of calcium from a platelet membrane fraction that contains elements of the intracellular calcium storage system and actively concentrates this cation in the presence of adenosine triphosphate (ATP) and magnesium. It is suggested that LPAs cause aggregation by stimulating the release of calcium intracellularly.     

Antagonists of PAF-acether do not suppress thrombin-induced aggregation of ADP-deprived and aspirin-treated human platelets

Four chemically distinct PAF-acether antagonists were used to test the hypothesis that the cyclooxygenase and ADP-independent thrombin-induced aggregation of human platelets is due to PAF-acether. The compouds 48740 RP, CV-3988, BN 52021 and Ro 19-3704 inhibited aggregation by PAF-acether whereas 48740 RP also interfered with aggregation by arachidonic acid, U 46619, collagen and thrombin. Aspirin-treated platelets aggregated in response to PAF-acether and to 0.25 U/ml thrombin as much as control platelets in absence of detectable thromboxane A₂, and were less responsive to 0.05–0.1 U/ml. Thrombin-induced aggregation of aspirin-treated platelets was unaffected by the PAF-acether antagnists BN 52021, CV-3988 and Ro 19-3704. In separate experiments, platelets were exposed for five min to convulxin, a glycoprotein extracted from a snake venom which depletes granular ADP and ATP. A combination of PGI₂, aspirin and anticrotalid serum used to disaggregate allowed the recovery of approximately 80% free platelets, which failed to respond to PAF-acether but still aggregated in presence of thrombin. This residual ADP and cyclooxygenase-independent aggregation is not accountable for by the platelet formation of PAF-acether, since it was not modified by the latters' antagonists nor by platelet exposure to convulxin. Our results do not support the proposal that PAF-acether mediates a third pathway of human platelet aggregation.     

The influence of prostaglandin G2 on platelet ultrastructure and platelet secretion.

Prostaglandin G2 (PGG2) is a labile endoperoxide produced physiologically following exposure of platelets to aggregating agents. We report here studies using isolated PGG2. This agent stimulates a concentration-dependent internal platelet contraction very similar to that produced by the calcium ionophore A23187. EDTA prevented platelet aggregation but did not prevent PGG2-stimulated internal contraction or secretion. In contrast, prostaglandin E1 and dibutyryl cyclic AMP inhich selectively labilizes platelet granules, was added to platelets together with PGG2 there was a superadditive effect on platelet secretion. Thus, granule labilization induced by PMA is a separable phenomenon and complementary to the effect of PGG2 on contraction. The ultimate degree of secretion is dependent on both processes. Studies using additional inhibitors supported the hypothesis that PGG2 activates platelets (either directly or following conversion to thromboxane A2) by transporting calcium from an intracellular store to the cytoplasmic site of the platelet contractile proteins.     

Studies on screening, isolation and purification of a fibrinolytic protease from an isolate (VK12) of Ganoderma lucidum and evaluation of its antithrombotic activity

Antithrombotic activity of a protease purified from a medicinal mushroom, Ganoderma lucidum, has been evaluated platelet aggregation in vitro and pulmonary thrombosis in vivo. The purified protease exhibited concentration dependent inhibitory effects on platelet aggregation induced by ADP (adenosine diphosphate), with an IC(50) value of 2.4 mg/mL. The purified protease protected mice against thrombotic death or paralysis induced by collagen and epinephrine in a dose dependent manner when administered orally. It produced a significant inhibition of thrombotic death or paralysis at 60 μg/kg body weight, while aspirin produced a significant inhibition of thrombosis at 10-20 mg/kg body weight. The purified protease also has showed fibrinolytic activity and alters coagulation parameters such as activated partial thromboplastin time (APTT), and thrombin time (TT) in rat platelet. These results suggested that the antithrombotic activity of Ganoderma lucidum protease might be due to antiplatelet activity rather than anticoagulation activity.     

Effect of mitosis inhibitors on blood platelet microtubules and aggregation

1. An inhibitory action of the mitosis inhibitors colchicine, colcemid and vinblastine on blood platelet aggregation has been demonstrated.

2. The inhibitory action of low concentrations of these drugs was surmountable by increasing the concentration of the aggregating agents adenosine diphosphate (ADP) or thrombin. High concentrations completely inhibited aggregation.

3. The presence of a circumferential bundle of microtubules has been demonstrated in rabbit platelets.

4. After exposure to aggregating doses of ADP and thrombin the microtubules move to the centre of the cell, `trapping' the platelet intracellular organelles in a relatively clear cytoplasm.

5. Concentrations of the antimitotic agents which reduce platelet aggregation depolymerize the platelet microtubules and prevent the rearrangement of the platelet organelles during aggregation.

6. It is suggested that the microtubules are not essential for platelet aggregation but are intimately involved in the movement of intracellular granules. This may be a preliminary stage in the eventual discharge of the granules during the platelet `release reaction'.

     

Effect of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAID) on the histamine release induced by compound 48/80 and cardiac anaphylaxis in guinea-pig isolated heart

Histamine release from guinea pig heart treated with compound 48/80 was potentiated by the cyclooxygenase inhibitors indomethacin and piroxicam but not by aspirin or phenylbutazone. This differential effect suggests that the potentiation is not merely due to an inhibition of prostaglandin synthesis. Piroxicam potentiated the histamine release induced by cardiac anaphylaxis whereas indomethacin reduced this effect. The SRS-A antagonist FPL 55712 inhibited histamine release induced by cardiac anaphylaxis, but not that evoked by compound 48/80, and also prevented the potentiation due to indomethacin and piroxicam. In total, these data suggest that the potentiation of histamine release by piroxicam and indomethacin is probably due to a diversion of arachidonic acid metabolism from the cyclooxygenase to the lipoxygenase pathways. The resulting lipoxygenase products may then regulate histamine release, with the secretion due to antigen being more sensitive to such modulation than that evoked by compound 48/80.     

Study of platelet aggregation induced by platelet activating factor (PAF) after administration of ticlopidine or aspirin

Platelet aggregation induced by platelet activating factor (PAF) was studied in 95 subjects: 39 controls, 23 patients receiving aspirin and 33 receiving ticlopidine. Potentiation of aggregation by concentrations of adrenaline unable to induce aggregation when used alone was also assessed. The 33 patients treated with ticlopidine showed a highly significant fall of platelet aggregation (p<0·001) at the three concentrations of PAF used. The 23 subjects receiving aspirin showed a diminution of platelet aggregation induced by PAF due to inhibition of ADP release. In these last two groups, adrenaline often potentiated platelet aggregation. However, this phenomenon was absent in subjects having taken aspirin in the hours before blood was drawn. This study demonstrates ticlopidine's inhibitory action on PAF-induced aggregation and confirms ticlopidine's role in reducing platelet aggregation by ADP, which has previously been demonstrated.     

磷酸化ERK1/2对大鼠体外血小板聚集的可能作用

目的：观察两种激动剂诱导下，MEK1/2抑制剂PD098059对大鼠体外血小板聚集及磷酸化ERK1/2的影响。方法： 采用比浊法测定血小板最大聚集率，并观察最大聚集率发生时间，以及PD098059对血小板聚集的抑制率；采用Westernblot测定ERK1/2磷酸化表达。结果： 凝血酶和ADP均可诱导血小板聚集及 ERK1/2磷酸化的表达；PD098059ADP降低血小板最大聚集率及ERK1/2磷酸化表达；凝血酶与ADP诱导的血小板最大聚集率、最大聚集率发生时间及对PDO98059的反应均有差异。结论： ERK1/2为血小板聚集的信号转导途径之一；但在不同激活剂引起的血小板聚集中所起的作用不尽相同。     

Morphometry of platelet internal contraction.

Blood platelets have a characteristic discoid shape supported by a circumferential band of microtubules. Following stimulation by aggregating agents or foreign surfaces, platelets lose their discoid form, extend pseudopods, and undergo a process of internal reorganization. Randomly dispersed cytoplasmic organelles become concentrated in cell centers within rings of microtubules and masses of microfilaments. Questions have been raised about this process and its contractile nature by studies demonstrating that platelet microtubules dissolve within seconds after activation and reassemble several minutes later in new locations. Earlier investigations showed that Taxol, a microtubule-stabilizing agent, did not inhibit platelet shape change, internal transformation, secretion, aggregation, or clot retraction. In the present study the diameters of microtubule coils in discoid platelets treated or not treated with Taxol and in platelets activated by thrombin, ADP, and a foreign surface were measured. The results of the study reveal no significant differences in diameters of microtuble rings in control or Taxol-treated cells. However, after activation by ADP, thrombin, or the grid surface, the diameter of coiled microtubules decreased by 30% or more. The results support the concept that internal transformation is a contractile event.     

Spasmogenic properties of platelet-activating factor: evidence for a direct mechanism in the contractile response of pulmonary tissues.

Platelet-activating factor (1-O-alkyl-2-O-acetyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine; PAF) induces a specific, dose-dependent contraction of guinea pig lung parenchymal strips with an ED50 value of 10(-9) M. The smooth muscle contractile activity of PAF in this system was not effected by the H1-blocking antihistamine, pyrilamine (10(-6) M), the prostaglandin synthesis inhibitors, indomethacin (10(-5) M), aspirin (10(-4) M), or sulfinpyrazone (5 X 10(-4) M), the leukotriene synthesis inhibitor, nordihydroguaiaretic acid (NDGA; 10(-5) M), the leukotriene antagonist FPL 55712 (10(-6) M) or the inhibitor of arachidonic acid metabolism, eicosatetraynoic acid (ETYA; 2 X 10(-5) M). The role of platelets in this system was also investigated. PAF-mediated contractions were not attenuated following platelet depletion using nitrogen mustard, nor were they augmented by the addition of exogenous platelets. Furthermore, isolated platelets incubated with PAF did not release stable substances spasmogenic for lung parenchymal strips. Finally, contractile activity of PAF was demonstrated in lung parenchymal strips from rats, a species whose platelets are insensitive to PAF at elevated concentrations. Taken together, these data show that PAF contracts smooth muscle of guinea pig lung parenchyma independently of endogenous histamine, arachidonic acid metabolites, or platelets trapped within the pulmonary vasculature. It is concluded, therefore, that PAF may act directly on contractile cells of the lung.     

Effect of a New Antiaggregating Chemical on the Structure and Function of the Human Platelet

A new antiaggregating chemical, α-(p-(fluoren-9-ylidenemethyl)phenyl)-2-piperidineethanol (RMI 10,393), designated FYPE, was found to be an effective inhibitor of platelet aggregation induced by adenosine diphosphate (ADP), thrombin, collagen, or epinephrine. Effects of the antiaggregant on platelets were concentration dependent. Aggregation was prevented by low concentrations of FYPE that produced in the platelet only minor ultrastructural changes consisting of loss of microtubules and of discoid shape. Low levels of FYPE that prevented platelet aggregation had no effect on platelet ATPase activities but did alter clot retraction, the thrombin-induced shift in electrophoretic mobility and platelet cholinesterase activity. Market decrease in ADP release and increase in adenyl cyclase activity were produced by low levels of FYPE. This study provides a model for evaluation of platelet antiaggregating compounds in vitro.     

Change in activity of factor XIII in the plasma during platelet aggregation

During platelet aggregation induced by ADP or thrombin, a reduction in the activity of factor XIII is observed in platelet-enriched rat plasma. On the addition of active factor XIII (XIIIa) to this plasma, besides the increased ADP-induced aggregation, activity of factor III in the plasma is reduced. In the case of thrombin-induced platelet aggregation, addition of factor XIIIa is accompanied by a marked decrease in its activity in the plasma. The degree of aggregation under these circumstances is lower than in control samples. The observed differences in the character of aggregation taking place in the presence of factor XIIIa, when different aggregants (ADP and thrombin) are used, are evidently due to interaction between active factor XIII and thrombin added to the plasma as the aggregant.     

Platelet aggregation is not initiated by platelet shape change.

Because the initial decrease in light transmission in platelet aggregometry is attributed to platelet shape change, it is widely held that platelet shape change is a prerequisite for platelet aggregation. We conducted this study to determine the basis of this initial optical effect in aggregometry. Platelets were activated with ADP, thrombin, or the thrombin receptor agonist peptide SFLLRN (TRAP(1-6)). In every case the initial decrease in light transmission occurred with the concomitant formation of microaggregates. This was also seen when preactivated platelets, which cannot undergo further morphological changes, were used, and when platelets were activated in the presence of shape-change inhibitors such as cytochalasin D and vincristine. Microscopy analysis of samples fixed at minimum light transmission in the aggregometer, which is generally assumed to signal shape change, always showed the presence of microaggregates. Microaggregation appeared to be distinct from full aggregation, as it was not inhibited by the addition of CD61, an antibody to the beta(3) integrin. To model these findings, fibrinogen-coated latex spheres, which cannot change shape, were aggregated with thrombin; the initial decrease in light transmission was still seen, and microaggregates formed at this time. These results indicate that platelet shape change is not a prerequisite for aggregation and that the signal widely believed to represent shape change reflects platelet microaggregation instead. We conclude that platelet aggregation occurs independently of shape change and that shape change is not necessarily followed by aggregation. These observations suggest an alternative role for platelet shape change of single platelets.     

Clinical evaluation of platelet antagonists on the ex vivo inhibitory effects of platelet aggregation

It is necessary in clinical to establish the effects of new substances for the primary and secondary prevention of thrombotic illnesses. We measured maximum aggregation after addition of collagen (F.C. 1.7 micrograms/ml) or ADP (F.C. 1.7 mumol/l) in 41 patients without drug treatment, 91 with ticlopidine, 22 with aspirin (ASA); 82-750 mg, 13 with ASA 81 mg, 20 with ticlopidine 100 mg and ASA 81 mg, 13 with cilostazol, 25 with flurbiprofen, 19 with nifedipine and evaluated the ex vivo effect of platelet antagonists. ASA inhibited remarkably collagen-induced platelet aggregation compared with other drugs, but there was significant (p less than 0.01 for 0.5 mumol/l ADP; p less than 0.02 for 1.0 mumol/l ADP) increase of primary aggregation induced by low dose of ADP in 14 healthy volunteers. While ticlopidine only significantly reduced ADP-induced platelet aggregation and we couldn't find dose dependency of ticlopidine (100-300 mg/day) on inhibitory effects of ADP or collagen-induced platelet aggregation. Our results indicate that the administration of one tablet of aspirin for pediatrics (aspirin 81 mg/tab) together with ticlopidine 100 mg is suitable for reduction of platelet aggregation.     

Effects of sodium periodate on platelet functions.

Removal of N-acetylneuraminic acid from the platelet surface causes rapid removal of platelets from the circulation but causes little change in other platelet functions. We have now investigated the effects of sodium periodate which is thought to oxidize the sialic acid of glycoproteins on cell surfaces and has been shown to affect the functions of other cells. NaIO4 (1 to 10 mm) caused aggregation of stirred suspensions of washed platelets from rabbits. Calcium was required in the suspending medium for NaIO4-induced aggregation. Aggregation was not accompanied by the release of amine storage granule contents nor by cell lysis. Aggregation induced by NaIO4 was not inhibited by creatine phosphate-creatine phosphokinase, by platelet inhibitors that raise platelet cyclic AMP levels such as prostaglandin E1 or methylxanthines, by agents that modify platelet surface--SH groups (N-ethylmaleimide, p-chloromercuribenzene sulfonate), nor by cytochalasin B and/or colchicine which interfere with platelet contractile processes. Drugs such as acetylsalicyclic acid, penicillin G, or cephalothin had no effect on NaIO4-induced aggregation. NaIO4-induced aggregation was practically independent of platelet metabolism since it was not affected by low temperatures and was only slightly inhibited by a combination of antimycin and iodoacetate. Periodate treatment enhanced CO2 production by platelets. When rabbit platelets were pretreated, without stirring, with NaIO4 (0.01 to 1 mm), they did not aggregate. They retained their disc shape and granule contents. However, this pretreatment with NaIO4 inhibited aggregation induced by ADP and inhibited both aggregation and release induced by collagen, thrombin, arachidonic acid, and the ionophore A23,187. The extent of inhibition corresponded to the concentration of NaIO4 used to pretreat the platelets. In contrast, concanavalin A-induced aggregation was unchanged by NaIO4 pretreatment. When NaIO4 oxidation was followed by sodium borohydride (NaBH4) reduction, the effects caused by NaIO4 pretreatment on ADP-induced aggregation and collagen- or thrombin-induced aggregation and release were partially reversed. Pretreatment with NaIO4 also diminished the rate of serotonin uptake and decreased the ability of platelets to adhere to collagen-coated surfaces or to the subendothelial structures of the rabbit aorta. Platelets which had been treated with NaIO4 and then reinfused into rabbits did not survive, and in this way were similar to platelets from which surface sialic acid had been removed by neuraminidase treatment. Since NaIO4 has been shown to oxidize sialic acid on red cell membranes, it seems probably that alteration of surface sialic acid resulted in recognition of the periodate-treated platelets as "foreign" by the reticuloendothelial system. When NaIO4 oxidation was followed by NaBH4 reduction, platelet survival returned toward normal values.     

A clinical and experimental study of platelet function in chronic renal failure

Coagulation and platelet function studies were performed on 24 normal subjects and 29 patients with chronic renal failure due to various causes. Thrombocytopenia was uncommon in the uraemic patients but there was reduced platelet retention in glass bead columns and platelet aggregation with adenosine diphosphate (ADP) and thrombin was slower and less complete than normal. The rate of platelet disaggregation in uraemic patients was significantly reduced. The abnormalities tended to be more severe in more uraemic subjects. In normal subjects no inter-relationships were observed between the various measurements of platelet activity. In patients there were significant interrelationships between the measurements of platelet aggregation with ADP and thrombin and between the measurements of aggregation and retention in glass bead columns. It is suggested that if a common pathway is involved in these reactions it is adversely affected in uraemia.Plasma coagulation defects were uncommon and present in only five of the uraemic subjects. Impaired prothrombin consumption apparently due to defective platelet function was present in half the patients but was not detected by a kaolin activation method. Although platelet coagulation function was activated during ADP aggregation and disaggregation in normal and uraemic subjects, it did not correlate in the latter with impairment of aggregation. It is suggested that aggregation and activation of platelet coagulant activity are not necessarily related aspects of platelet function. An effect of uraemic plasma on normal platelets was demonstrated by mixing experiments consistent with a humoral cause for the uraemic platelet defects.     

Fibrinogen mediated activation of platelet aggregation and thromboxane A2 release: pathological implications in vascular disease

The effect of a human fibrinogen preparation on in vitro platelet aggregation was assessed. Platelets were obtained from healthy volunteers. Human fibrinogen induced platelet aggregation in 65% of platelet rich plasma samples and enhanced submaximal platelet aggregation induced by heparin or by several conventional agonists in all samples. Aggregation induced by fibrinogen alone was reversed by the in vitro addition of human albumin. Fibrinogen induced aggregation was associated with the release of the vasoconstrictor, thromboxane A2. Preincubation with indomethacin inhibited both the aggregation and the release of thromboxane A2. Fibrinogen had no effect on in vitro vascular prostaglandin I2 synthesis (rat aortic rings) during a 60 minute incubation. The observed effects of fibrinogen on platelet function may be relevant to clinical conditions in which hyperaggregability of platelets is associated with hyperfibrinogenemia and thrombosis.     

Mechanisms of platelet response to monosodium urate crystals.

The mechanisms of urate-crystal-induced release of platelet constituents has been studied morphologically and biochemically. Urate crystals provoked an early energy-dependent release of the dense-body constituents serotonin, ADP, and ATP from washed platelets. Concurrently, platelet ultrastructure showed evidence of shape change, contractile wave, and aggregation. These are typical morphologic concomitants of platelet secretion. By 30 minutes' incubation, urate-induced platelet lysis occurred, as shown by loss of the cytoplasmic enzyme lactic dehydrogenase (LDH) and ultrastructurally by disruption of platelet membrane integrity. Cytochalasin B inhibited the urate-crystal-induced shape change, aggregation, and disruption of cell membranes. Platelet degranulation was not inhibited and the initial component of serotonin release was not affected. Cytochalasin B also abrogated crystal-induced LDH loss. Thus, the initial crystal-induced serotonin release does not depend on platelet lysis. It is concluded that urate-crystal--induced release of serotonin, ATP, and ADP represents an example of platelet secretion.